You don’t know your bumpers from your jumpers, your bays from your greys, or your fillies from your colts? You’ve come to the correct spot. Continue reading for our beginner’s guide to equine racing.

History of horse racing

People have undoubtedly raced with horses – either on their backs or in a chariot of some sort – for as long as people have been able to control these magnificent animals. Certainly, there is evidence that suggests the ancient Greeks raced with horses as far back as 700 BC.

Horse racing began in the 17th century, when King James I was captivated by horse racing and the “Sport of Kings” was established, becoming fashionable with the English aristocracy.

Types of horse racing

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, horse racing is divided into two separate divisions. Flat racing is basic: horses get a head start, they run — either in a straight line or around a circular track — and then they come to an end, the winner obviously being the first to cross the finish line. The second sort of race is National Hunt, which is slightly more difficult for both horses and jockeys since they must overcome challenges on the way around the track.

The horses in National Hunt racing are split into two categories: hurdles and steeplechases. (There are also National Hunt flat races known as “bumper” races, but they are considerably less common.) The distinction between the two is that horses competing in steeplechases must vault higher and more robust obstacles than those running in hurdle races. Steeplechases frequently feature open ditches and water jumps, which provide an extra degree of danger/excitement depending on whether you are viewing or riding!

Betting on horse racing

It’s the betting aspect, for many – perhaps most – horse racing fans. The build-up, tension, and release of equine energy, as well as the jubilation or despair experienced when the horse you backed wins a race, are all part of today’s horse racing experience. With access to the internet readily available, many bettors use tipsters such as Timeform to help with their bets.

To put it another way, you must calculate the chances, which are frequently shown as fractions in the UK system. For example, if your horse wins at odds of 5/1, you will get back £5 for every £1 you bet (plus your original stake) if he rams home. Isn’t that simple?

Horse racing offers a wide range of wagers, from predicting the correct order the initial two or three horses finish in a race to numerous choices from many races. Before you put your bet, it’s critical to know what kind of bet you’re making.

How can you pick a winning horse?

It’s easier said than done, or we’d all be rich and the bookies would go bankrupt. There are many variables to consider when selecting a potential champion from a field of horses, such as form, lineage, trainer, jockey, whether the ground is appropriate for that horse if they like the current weather conditions, and so on.

Of course, if you don’t want to spend hours studying the form and statistics, you may take the easy road to success by allowing tipsters to do the hard work for you, they offer frequent horse racing betting advice.